NSB man charged in deadly Edgewater hit-and-run

A 43-year-old New Smyrna Beach resident surrendered to Edgewater police Thursday and was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving a death.

MARK I. JOHNSONSTAFF WRITER NEWS HITRUN ARR

Based on interviews and evidence gathered at the scene, Edgewater police arrested a 43-year-old New Smyrna Beach man Thursday and charged him with the hit-and-run death of 75-year-old Telvy M. Acosta of Edgewater. Joseph L. Bompadre went to the police station on Park Avenue about 8:30 a.m. at the request of Edgewater authorities, Sgt. Joe Mahoney said. Upon completion of an interview, he was taken into custody, the arrest report said. Police said Acosta was walking north in the 2300 block of South Ridgewood Avenue about 6:55 p.m. Monday when she was struck and killed. The driver of the vehicle failed to stop, police said. The suspect vehicle suffered damage to the front passenger side, including the headlight, police said. As investigators collected evidence at the scene Tuesday, they met with a man who said his son, identified as Robert Kettleband Jr., was a passenger in the truck that struck and killed Acosta, the report states. The arrest report states Kettleband told investigators he had called Bompadre for a ride from the grocery store Monday night and when he arrived Bompadre was “highly intoxicated,” rating Bompadre's level of intoxication as a “10 out of 10.” As Bompadre drove the white pickup drove north on South Ridgewood Avenue, Kettleband said his driver drank bourbon from a glass and played with his phone. The report states Bompadre swerved and struck a person with the right front of the vehicle. That impact sent the victim flying to the side of the road. Based on that information, investigators located and seized the pickup. Officers then made contact with Bompadre at his residence in the 100 block of Washington Street, and told him why his truck had been seized. Bompadre was shaking uncontrollably and initially said he had been home since 6:30 p.m. Monday, the report states. He also said his friend “Terry” used the truck last and must have hit something. Bompadre then agreed to go to the Police Department for an interview, where the report states he told investigators he left his mother's residence off Old Mission Road just before dark. He then said a friend asked to borrow the truck to run errands. During the interview, Bompadre said he had the flu and could not remember specific details due to taking cold medicine the last few days. When pushed about whether he knew Kettleband and was in his company Monday night, Bompadre said, “All right man, let's cut the story.” “She was in the (expletive deleted) dark,” he told investigators, “(Expletive deleted) pitch dark, we didn't know what the (expletive) we hit,” the report states. Bompadre said he “freaked out” and drove to his house, where he arranged for a ride home for Kettleband. Bompadre was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail after processing and was being held on $10,000 bail.